General Motors (GM) and its autonomous driving technology division Cruise have petitioned U.S. regulators for permission to build and deploy a self-driving car that eliminates the usual steering wheel and pedal controls.
It was reported on the Cruise blog the other day that the division has requested National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approval to deploy the Cruise Origin self-driving electric vehicle. The administration has the authority to grant petitions allowing a limited number of vehicles that do not require human control to temporarily travel on US roads.
The Origin electric vehicle, which was developed jointly by GM and Cruise’s investor Honda Motor, has two long, facing seats that can comfortably accommodate four passengers. Production of the Origin is expected to begin in late 2022 at GM’s Detroit plant, with finished vehicles to market in 2023.
In 2018, GM applied to NHTSA to allow a car based on the Chevrolet Bolt without a steering wheel or brake pedals to operate on American roads. At the end of 2020, the company withdrew this petition.
A law to accelerate the deployment of self-driving vehicles on US roads has stalled in Congress. Under current law, companies can expect to be exempted from safety standards for up to 2,500 vehicles and for a maximum of two years. These regulations are considered obsolete as they were adopted decades ago when it was believed that only drivers would drive a vehicle.
Source: ixbt
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